States Diary

BJP MPs and senior party leaders had just one advice for Manoj Tiwari, who was appointed the party’s Delhi chief Wednesday: Follow the Prime Minister’s idea of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. Tiwari, 43, replaces Satish Upadhyay, who occupied the post for more than two years.

Born in Atarwalia, Bihar, Tiwari graduated from Banaras Hindu University. He joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. A well-known Bhojpuri singer and actor, he won the polls from the North East Delhi constituency, which has a large migrant population. His appointment comes against the backdrop of the party trying to reach out to the migrant voters in the capital. His appeal to the Purvanchalis — a community that has 18 lakh voters in the capital — and his reputation as a non-controversial leader not affiliated to any camp helped him bag the post, BJP sources said.

To Woo OBC, BJP Appoints Nityanand Rai As Bihar Chief

In a bid to woo Yadav and other OBC voters, the BJP appointed Nityanand Rai, a Yadav, and the party Lok Sabha MP from Ujiyarpur, as its Bihar unit president. Rai, 50, takes over from Mangal Pandey — in fact, three successive state unit presidents preceding Pandey were also from the upper caste: CP Thakur, Radha Mohan Singh and Gopal Narayan Singh.

Rai, who started with the ABVP, the RSS’s students’ wing, and later held different positions in Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha, the Sangh’s youth outfit, is seen as an organisation man. Rai has represented Hajipur Assembly constituency four times since 2000, and enjoys considerable clout in the area. He is seen as a counter to the Lalu Prasad family’s dominance in the adjoining Assembly segment of Raghopur. He first became an MP in 2014.

With municipal corporation elections in Shimla due in May next year, Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has started focusing on the development of hill with eyes set on the coming elections. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several projects worth crores in the town.

Virbhadra Singh also provided relief to the city residents by announcing that basement parking constructed by people at New Shimla will be opened so as to ease the idle parking and congestion on roads. He had also laid the foundation stone of Primary Health Centre building at New Shimla to cost around Rs one crore. He said that New Shimla had fast expanded but hardly any space left for crossing of heavy vehicles. He also said wherever there was scope for widening of roads in New Shimla area, it would be done in a planned manner.

Gujarat Government Accepts in Principle Three Demands of PAAS

The Gujarat government has in principle agreed to accept four out of three demands made by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), and announced formal steps will be taken shortly after the next meeting with PAAS conveners. The government has asked PAAS to provide details of precedents, if the issue of reservation is to be considered at the next meeting. It has agreed to consider the demand for a Patidar Development Commission, withdrawal of all cases registered against Patidar agitators, and compensation for victims who died during the Patidar agitation in 2015.

“The government is also open to withdraw sedition cases (against Hardik and others) if they are keen to reach a solution and support peace and progress in the state,” said Nitin Patel, deputy chief minister of Gujarat, during a media briefing.

MGP Asks for New CM to Save Alliance With BJP in Goa

BJP must induct a new CM if the party wants to continue with the BJP-MGP alliance in Goa, the BJP should then only come for talks, regional outfit (MGP) Maharashtrwadi Gomnatak Party demanded.

Addressing a press conference in the city headquarters of the party after a meeting of the regional party’s Central committee, MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar, who is also a Minister in the BJP-led alliance government, also said that the party was as of now open and preparing to contest all the 40 legislative assembly seats if the alliance with the BJP does not work out. He criticised the manner in which the demonetisation decision was implemented across the country and Goa wherein common people suffer. Ponda said that under Parsekar’s leadership, “Goa has gone back 10 years in his rule of two and a half years”.

Kerala Government Launches Mobile Apps to Fight Corruption

Seeking to fight corruption with the active participation of people, Kerala government launched two mobile applications which can be used to upload information regarding graft. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the applications – ‘ArisingKerala’ and ‘Whistle Now – at a function here on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day. Using the apps, people can upload videos and audios related to corruption around them.

The advanced mobile applications were developed by the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau as part of its series of innovative initiatives to fight graft. Speaking on the occasion, Vijayan said the government would give away a whistleblowers award every year for those who expose corruption and help bring the culprits before law. He said the apps can be downloaded from Google Play Store and people can upload information regarding corruption.